Supermoon
by BelStar
Summary: This story takes place between the end of the TV series and the beginning of the first movie. It's another weekend with the Caravan Club and another fundraiser for Alistair, but there's a hairy surprise waiting for Will. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

"Alistair Scott, Alistair Scott, we hate you, oh Alistair Scott."

This is what Will, Jay, Simon and Neil were singing as Jay drove them to the Kent coast one Saturday afternoon during a May heatwave. Alistair Scott, the Rudge Park sixth former whose bout of kidney failure had previously inspired a fashion show and what Will called "a load of sanctimonious hogwash", had now become the catalyst for a new fundraising event. After the fashion show had made enough cash to buy a dialysis machine for St Margaret's Hospital, Alistair, together with Carli, had gone on to raise even more money for kidney charities by staging various events around town; and Alistair had become a familiar face in the local press, with phrases like 'teenage hero' and 'inspirational youngster' accompanying his name. Much to Jay's disgust, his dad Terry had been approached by Carli, who was keen to organize a fundraising weekend for Alistair at a caravan park; and Terry had been only too pleased to introduce her to the Caravan Club top brass. In fact, both Jay's parents would be at the weekend, along with Simon's parents and Will's mum. Carried away with the Alistair hype, they had all put pressure on their sons to attend; in spite of the fact that the boys' A Level exams would be taking place over the next few weeks. Neil, on the other hand, was only going because the others were going.

"So what is it that's happening over the weekend again?" Neil asked now from his seat next to the driver's.

"There's the ballroom dancing competition this evening, with the buffet - then there's the barbecue tomorrow afternoon, then we all go home on Sunday ", replied Simon, who was sat behind Jay. "And it's all happening for £35 a ticket!" Will concluded sarcastically. "Here, what's wrong with this traffic, it's all snarling up", complained Jay. "And it's getting too hot in this car", added Simon, winding down his window. "It's getting too hot for a Friday in May", Will commented.

Neil tried adjusting the cooling system. "It's been broke for ages, Neil", Jay told him. "This is gonna be a fucking awful couple of days", he carried on. "Traipsing round after my dad, and that Strictly Twats Dancing bollocks. That's if we don't end up cooking in this piece of shit." Jay had tried to dodge out of the weekend until his parents told him that if he didn't help out, they wouldn't let him drive the Nissan Micra. Since it was his mum's car in the first place, and the only car he was at liberty to drive, Jay didn't have much of an option. "And to top it all off, I had to give my Mum a hand with the food all morning and my clothes stink of coronation chicken!"

"Mummy's little helper!" mocked Simon. "What's corporation chicken?" asked Neil. "It's little bits of chicken in a curry sauce" replied Jay. "My Mum always cooks it for special occasions."

"At least it's a step up from sausages, crisps and salad", Will remarked.

"Try and look on the bright side - Will and his mum will be taking part in the dancing thing", said Neil consolingly. "So will my parents", groused Simon, feeling embarrassed. "I think it's gonna be quite a nice weekend", decided Neil. "And I've brought along some beers for us to have after the Strictly thing, and some rollies and a lighter in case we score some more dope."

"Of course, because that ended so well the last time", said Will sarcastically. "I don't think anyone's going to be selling dope at a caravan park", Simon said, shaking his head. "Hey Will", Neil piped up, turning round in his seat. "Are you going to be doing the dance where you jump around a lot? I'd love to see your mum's boobs bouncing up and down."

"You mean the quick step?" replied Will, wiping sweat from his brow. "No, Neil, we're going to be doing the waltz, and that doesn't involve anybody's boobs bouncing, least of all my mother's; and she will not be wearing a skirt that flies up to show her knickers either."

"Shame", groused Neil. "Just imagine that, though", exclaimed Jay, gazing around at everybody with a naughty look on his face. "Especially if she was wearing those sexy purple knickers we found!" Neil threw back his head and laughed. "Ooh, I can picture it now", snickered Simon. "Yes, and that's all you'll ever be able to do", Will ranted, annoyed at having given his friends fresh ammunition for winding him up. "Picture it!" Neil and Simon laughed again.

Jay sounded the horn impatiently. The traffic was slowing to a crawl, and all four boys were feeling the heat. "I'm pretty sure nobody on this road can go any faster than we are", Will stated. "How are we supposed to get there for this evening?" Jay shouted. "Hey, answer that for me, Neil, will you?" he added as the phone on the dashboard sounded. "If it's my Dad, tell him I've got my foot to the floor and we're bombing along."

"That's the text sound, innit?" Neil pointed out. Picking up the phone himself, Jay looked at the message. "Are you sure it's safe to look at texts when you're driving?" Will chided. "We're practically at a standstill by now", reasoned Simon. "What difference does it make?"

Jay looked at the text and then laughed. "Hey guess what?" he said the others. "There's going to be spit roasting!" Will shook his head and sighed. "Jay, there's no need to lie to us, we all know by now that Caravan Club doesn't amount to one massive orgy." Jay looked put out – he was actually telling the truth at this point. He turned round in the driver's seat to face Will.

"They are going to have a spit-roast – my dad bought a suckling pig from the meat wholesalers, and they're going to stick it on a pole at the barbecue and roast it over an open fire", he retorted. "And it'll be the best fucking thing you ever tasted."

"You mean, you're gonna have a pig roaming around in your caravan?" asked Neil. "That's right, and we can teach it tricks", Simon laughed. "It's already dead, you pillock", sighed Jay, gazing out at the road ahead. "So in other words, the only pig who's actually going to be roaming around the caravan is your dad", said Will to Jay. "Fuck off", Jay replied. Just then, he saw that the traffic was just beginning to move again, and it looked like they were going to arrive long before it got dark. "Here we go", he said, turning to the others with a thumbs up. "Our coronation chicken awaits!" quipped Will.


	2. Chapter 2

Will's mum Polly had travelled to the caravan park with Simon's parents, and she and Will were going to be sharing a caravan. Simon's parents would be sharing another caravan, next door to the D'Amato family. Simon and Neil would be sleeping in a tent, and Neil had brought along two thick sleeping bags because, as he told the others, "I can have one bag inside the other if it gets too cold", although as they were identical and the zips were stuck on both, Will suspected he might have a bit of a problem . Jay would be staying with his parents, in the family's own caravan.

It was evening now, and Neil was being particularly cheery, helping all the parents to unpack their things and whistling as he did so. "You seem quite happy", commented Will. "I've got a really good feeling about this weekend", Neil replied. "I think it's gonna be exciting." Exciting wasn't quite the word Will would have used to describe the next couple of days. Part mundane, part embarrassing would probably have been more accurate, what with having to dance with his mum – although he did think the spit-roasted pig at the barbecue might be nice. Just then, Polly called to him from their caravan.

"Will, I've brought along your favourite kebabs for the buffet this evening", she told him. "You mean those marinaded ones?" he asked her. "That'll be lovely, thanks Mum!" The thought of kebabs put him in a much better mood. Maybe even dancing the waltz wouldn't be too bad. And there was a glorious sunset over the caravan park. Jay and Simon were just returning from the shower block. They were carrying towels and looking a lot fresher than they had done in the car. "The showers aren't too bad, you know", Simon said to Will and Neil. "Except for one thing."

"What's that?" Neil asked.

"The shower I was in stopped working when I was halfway through. So if you two still want showers, you'll have to take it in turns."

"Shit!" said Will. "I'll let you have first go if you want", offered Neil. "Oh, thanks", Will replied, brightening up. Neil and Will fetched their towels and soap, and set off in the direction of the shower block. "Have you always known how to do that Strictly dancing?" Neil asked Will as they walked along the concrete path. "You mean ballroom dancing", Will laughed. "No, I don't do ballroom dancing, my mum taught me how to dance the waltz when I was a little boy – just as a party piece for us to do in front of relatives."

"Oh, I see", Neil said. "Do you like your caravan?"

"It's actually quite nice – for a caravan", Will replied. "My mum likes the veranda."

Neil looked confused. "Isn't that the big lady on the telly?"

"No, that's Miranda", explained Will. "The veranda's the kind of platform thing at the front of the caravan. It's just a shame the local chavs knocked down all the railings."

Dusk had fallen by the time they got to the showers, which were on the edge of the caravan park, next to a forest. "Are you sure you don't mind me going first?" Will said to Neil. "Nah, mate", came the reply. "You go ahead." Will stepped under the shower and undressed, hanging his clothes on the wooden cubicle door. Just as he had taken off his underpants, he heard Neil's voice. "Here, Will", he asked. "You don't know if there's a McDonald's round here, do you?"

"I shouldn't think so", Will replied. "It's a caravan park, so people tend to bring their own food."

"I wish I'd known", said Neil disappointedly. "I didn't bring any food except the Doritos and I've not ate nothing since lunch, and now I'm really hungry." Will smiled to himself. "Neil", he said to his friend. "Don't forget there's the buffet at the dance tonight, and my mum's made some beef kebabs."

"Oh, that sounds good", said Neil. Will turned on the shower and started scrubbing himself. Once he had finished his shower, he stood on tiptoe and opened the sliding window at the back of the cubicle to let the steam out - then he dried and put his clothes back on. Neil was absorbed in playing with his phone when Will emerged fully dressed from the cubicle but something caught his eye straight away. "Look at the moon!" he yelled. The cubicle window which Will had slid open was about a foot and a half square, and it showed an enormous full moon with a few small grey clouds scudding across. "See how big it is!" Neil exclaimed. "That's the supermoon", Will told his friend. "It's what you get when the moon is closest to the earth. If I remember rightly, they only happen every 14 to 15 months."

"It looks really lovely", said Neil, drifting towards it as if entranced. Will went outside again to get a better view of the moon. It was darker now, and the last few colours of the sunset were visible over the park. Coming around to the side of the block with the open window, he could hear Neil singing as he took off his clothes. Cow parsley was nodding in the twilight, and the cool evening air was bringing out some kind of fragrance.

The little clouds were moving away from the supermoon now, and it seemed to be shining a lot brighter. Will could hear a small dog yapping at the moon, and then an even bigger dog barking at it. Just a minute. The sound of the bigger dog seemed to be coming from inside the shower block. Was Neil okay in there? "Neil", Will shouted outside the open window, and then a huge furry creature burst through it, slightly wet from the shower. Will froze as the creature's damp fur momentarily brushed against his face, before it landed on all fours and ran away into the forest. Without meaning to, he licked his upper lip to discover some hairs left by the creature. Now springing into action, Will ran into the shower block. "Neil", he shouted. "Neil, where are you?"


	3. Chapter 3

The shower in the empty cubicle was still running, and Neil's clothes were hung over the wooden door. Had the creature done something to Neil? Will quickly looked around for signs of blood but he couldn't see any. "Neil, where are you?" he shouted again as he turned the shower off. He hurried to the entrance of the shower block. "Neil", he shouted once more, with a wobble in his voice. "Neil, Neil, what's happened to you?"

"Will!" That was Simon's voice. "Will, are you okay? We heard you shouting." Will ran over to the entrance to see Simon and Jay running towards him. They both changed into suits for the dance competition, and were looking very anxious. "Did you see a great big wolf-type thing?" asked Jay as he and Simon burst into the shower block. "Er, yes", said Will, looking as if he was about to cry. "It jumped out of the shower block window and ran into the forest." His voice became quieter. "I think it might have eaten Neil." Simon grew pale and closed his eyes. "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, this isn't happening", he muttered.

Jay's eyes grew round. "That WAS Neil, you dozy prick, he's a werewolf!"

Will blinked several times. "Neil's a werewolf?" As if to answer him, a blood-curdling howl came from somewhere in the wood. "Does his dad know?"

"No, he doesn't", said Simon. "Jay and you and me are the only ones who know, and you'd better not tell anyone else."

"But I've – I've never known him change into a wolf", Will spluttered. "He doesn't do it every full moon", explained Jay. "It's just the odd occasion when the moon looks bigger than normal." Will started thinking back to his earlier conversation with Neil. "About every 14 to 15 months?" he asked. "Yes, I suppose so", replied Simon. "Well, in that case, I think he must be reacting to the supermoon", said Will. "The what?" asked Jay uncomprehendingly. "Well, never mind that, what are we going to do now?" Will demanded.

"We've got to carry on as if nothing's happened", replied Simon. "And you've got to get changed for that dance with your mum."

"Hadn't we better try and find Neil first?" asked Will. "We'll track him down later", Jay replied. "He'll change back in the morning anyway - and if people ask where he is, we'll just tell them that the heat made him feel sick and he decided to get an early night."

"But Neil's out there, and he's a dangerous animal!" Will protested. "If he's run off into the forest, then it's possible he'll stay there all night", said Simon. "He's done that once or twice before when he's turned into a wolf. Come on now", he said, putting an arm over Will's shoulder and walking him back to the caravan the way they had come. Jay quickly collected Neil's things and then ran to catch up with the others. "Oh there you are, petal", called Polly to Will from the McKenzie caravan. "Come and change into your suit – you've just got time before the dance starts." Will decided that this wasn't the time to argue with anybody. Suit it was.

After Simon and Jay had left Neil's stuff in the tent, they figured they'd better head on over to the dance. It was being hosted in a hall, thankfully not quite as grim as the one where the party at Camber Sands had taken place. In fact, as the two boys went inside, they could see the hall had been made to look quite good, with paper garlands and balloons hung around the place. Some people, including Jay's dad Terry, were still putting up decorations, while Alistair was sat in his wheelchair wearing a dazzlingly white suit with a black waistcoat and bow tie, surrounded by a group of caravan club types who were hanging on his every word. In fact, there were already quite a number of people there – mostly adults but also a smattering of kids. Terry, who was stood on a ladder, yelled to his son from the other side of the hall. "Here, Jay." Jay and Simon crossed over to him.

"Listen, son, you've not seen Neil, have you?"

"The heat made him feel sick", Jay replied. "He decided to get an early night."

"Shame, that", said Terry. "I could do with someone tall to help with the last of these decorations. By the way, isn't that your fat bird from the Camber Sands meet?" The two boys looked over to where Terry was indicating. Yes, it was the fat girl from the Camber Sands meet. Simon started to look panicked. "It's alright, Simon, no need to shit yourself", Terry laughed. "Ten Ton Tessie might be here but Becky isn't." Just then, Simon's attention was caught by the sight of Carli, who was wearing a strapless prom-style dress; and was stood with her back to him, chatting to a middle aged couple. "Hello, Carli?" he called, waving as she turned around. "Simon, Jay!" she exclaimed, coming over to them. "You look terrific!"

"Wow, so do you!" said Simon enthusiastically. "Will and his mum'll be along in a bit, they're just getting changed."

"Is Neil coming? I thought maybe he could his robot dance – not as part of the competition, just to make people laugh."

"The heat made him feel sick", replied Simon. "He decided to get an early night."

"Oh, poor thing", sighed Carli. "Oh look", she added, pointing. "There are your mum and dad."

Simon turned around in horror. He had known his parents were going to be dancing the jive but nothing had prepared him for their outfits. Across the hall, he could see his dad, Alan, was wearing a pinstriped 40's style suit with a fedora; while his mum, Pamela, had on an orange 40's style dress and a large fake flower in her hair. Carli went over to them to say hello. "Honestly, I'll never speak to them again", said Simon under his breath as Jay started sniggering. "Well never mind your parents, look at Briefcase over there in his penguin suit!" he laughed.

Will was dressed up to the nines in a white tie and tails. Simon waved to him and then, once he'd got his attention, mouthed the words "White tie wanker" at him. Just as Will was about to react, Polly walked in through the double doors. Almost every man in the room had his eyes out on stalks as she entered. Even young Chris D'Amato's jaw dropped. She was wearing a beautiful blue ball gown which stopped at knee length, with a lot of tulle petticoats and a low-cut bodice which showed off a huge expanse of cleavage. "And it's a ten from Len", whispered Jay. "Oh look, there goes Alistair the Ego", Simon whispered back. Alistair was wheeling himself over to Polly. "Oh hello, you must be Mrs. McKenzie", Alistair said as he reached her and Will. "My name's Alistair."

"Oh, you're the young man we've been hearing so much about", replied Polly, bending slightly to look at him. "It's lovely to meet you, Alistair", and they shook hands. "I didn't realize Will had such a sexy lady for a mother", Alistair told Polly. Polly was delighted. Meanwhile, in the forest, a hungry wolf was sniffing the air, trying desperately to pick up the scent of food.


	4. Chapter 4

"And I just want to say, it's been a real privilege – not only working with Alistair but also finding out how generous people can be with their time and money." Carli was starting off the dance competition with a little speech. Pamela Cooper lifted a small tissue to her eye. "I'm so proud of Carli", she whispered to Simon, who was standing next to her. "She's done really well, hasn't she?" Simon replied, as Carli handed the microphone over to Malcolm, the Caravan Club branch manager. He wondered how different his life would have been if the Cooper and D'Amato families had never been friends. If you were in love with a girl since the age of eight, it certainly had an effect on you.

Over in the forest, the wolf howled sorrowfully. He was hungry, and the forest was a strange place. The shower block was a long way behind him – in fact, he was closer to the main road now. Headlights from passing cars shone through the trees, making him feel anxious. Not knowing what else to do, he let loose another howl.

"I wish that dog would belt up", grumbled Alan, over in the hall. "Honestly, which shithead put their dog out on the same night we have our dancing competition?" complained Alistair, before picking up the microphone. Then, with a distinct change in tone, he announced the first couple to take to the floor. "So our starting number is 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?', and dancing the waltz for us, we're extremely lucky to have Will McKenzie and his gorgeous mum Polly!" Everyone in the hall clapped as Polly and Will stepped into the middle of the dance floor, Polly towering over Will by three or four inches. I'd be quite happy to have the most beautiful woman in the room on my arm, thought Will, if only she wasn't my own mother.

Simon and Jay moved over to a relatively quiet part of the hall and sang along, not too loudly. "Are you lonesome tonight? Are your trousers too tight? Are your y-fronts all falling apart?" Will could just about hear them but pretended that nothing untoward was happening, and that he danced in front of 50-odd people wearing a white tie and tails with his arm around his mother's waist every single day; even though he could also hear a few of the kids sniggering. While this was going on, the wolf, feeling even hungrier and even sorrier for himself, was heading back the way he had come.

As Elvis launched into the final verse, all the people in the hall heard a final howl, a lot louder than the last two. "Oh, not that bloody dog again!" moaned Alan. "I'm frightened", Chris wailed, snuggling against his mother. "It'd better not be some idiot chav or other messing around" Alistair grumbled to Carli as the song came to an end. Carli shrugged, and decided to go on with the show. "Thank you very much, Will and Polly!" she announced as the spectators applauded. Thank you very much, Jay and Simon, thought Will to himself sarcastically. "Now, our next competitors are only twelve", Carli continued, "and they're going to be dancing the salsa for us – Freddy Mills and Nadine Straker!"

As he and his mother passed the buffet table, he picked up one of the beef kebabs. "Oh Will, can you grab one for me as well?" asked Polly. Will snatched a paper plate and another one of the kebabs. "Would it be alright if we go outside for a minute?" Will asked. "Of course, petal", his mother agreed. "Why don't we sit outside our caravan for a little while?"

"Can we?" said Will. He was aware that the spectators had been left quite underwhelmed. "Just let me just get my evening bag", replied Polly. She quickly scooped it up from her seat, and mother and son stepped outside together. Their caravan was only a small number of paces away from the hall, and there was a bench on the veranda for them to sit on. The two of them climbed the three steps to the veranda by the light of Will's pocket torch. The veranda itself was actually quite narrow, and the two of them had to shuffle along it quite carefully in order not to fall off it before they settled down on the bench with their kebabs.

"Can you hear something snuffling?" asked Polly. "I think it might be a badger. I've got my phone - we could try taking a picture if it comes into sight." Will was waiting before he started eating his kebab. Even though it had cooled by now, the marinade made the beef smell really delicious. Just as long as that snuffling thing wasn't…

Will looked up to find that he and his mother were being watched by two shining blue eyes. Polly, who didn't quite understand smart phones, was having trouble finding her camera app; and didn't notice she was being looked at until a large hairy animal padded into the light of a nearby lantern. "Will, poppet, I don't want to worry you", Polly said. "But I think that animal over there's a wolf."


	5. Chapter 5

"Keep very, very still", Polly advised Will. "Remember, if it is a wolf it'll be just as afraid of you as you are of it."

The wolf, which Will was trying to remember had once been Neil, came creeping towards them, closer and closer, his big blue eyes keen with hunger. He sniffed the air, as if he was trying to pick up a certain scent. "Remember, keep perfectly still", whispered Polly, clutching Will's arm very tightly, "and try not to be frightened." Just then, the wolf reared up, placing his front legs on the veranda and started sniffing around Polly's frothy petticoats. "Neil, you pervert", said Will under his breath. "Okay, I know what to do", whispered Polly again, and leaning forward, she picked up both hers and Will's kebabs and flung them across the caravan park. The wolf chased after the kebabs, picked them both up in his mouth and ran away again into the shadows.

"Goodness me!" gasped Polly. "When I bent over to throw the wolf our kebabs, he just, for a very slight moment, stuck his nose in my cleavage. It was just like a dog's. I can still feel a little damp cold spot", she said, with her finger on the place. "Now listen", she continued, standing up and moving towards the caravan door. "You had quite a shock just now, and I'm worried you might faint. I'm going to let us into the caravan so you can have a bit of time recovering and I can phone the police." She took the key to the caravan out of her evening bag, let them both in and then switched on the light. "Come on, darling, lie down on the bed", she told him. "I'll help you take your shoes off. I suspect that wolf was some kind of exotic pet, and he escaped. "

"People can be so irresponsible", agreed Will as his mother took his shoes off. "Right, smelling salts", said Polly briskly. Will lay down facing the wall. Then, just as soon as he heard her unfasten her suitcase to find the first aid kit, he whipped his mobile out of his pocket and looked up Simon's number. "Get over 2R caravan asap!" he texted, before placing the phone in the cubby hole just above him.

"I've found the smelling salts for you, petal", said Polly, rolling Will onto his back and sticking the small bottle under his nose. "Urrgh", he groaned. He didn't actually need smelling salts but he thought it best to play along for the time being. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" called Polly.

"It's me and Jay, Mrs. McKenzie", came Simon's voice from outside. "Can we come in?"

"I think you'd better", Polly replied, opening the door and letting them inside. "I don't want to worry you both but there's a wolf somewhere outside. I was just about to call the emergency services when you knocked."

"Are you sure it was a wolf?" queried Simon. "You don't think it might just have been a big dog?"

"It was pretty big for a dog", said Polly decidedly. "He sniffed around my skirts, which was very unsettling."

"Oh, I know what you must have seen", Jay told her. "It must have been Fred. One of the old boys at Caravan Club has this big dog that's a cross between a wolf and a Great Dane. You should've tickled him behind the ears – he goes all soppy when you do that."

"Really?" Polly asked, not sure whether to believe him.

"I met him too – when we went with Jay to Camber Sands", Simon piped up. "He's really not as fierce as he looks, you know." Jay nodded. Will was praying she'd believe them both – although it would probably be the first time anyone other than Neil had bought into Jay's bullshit. Then again, they did have Simon backing up the story…

"Alright Jay, I think I can believe you", said Polly. "But I must say - he's a very big dog. Will, I think we'd better head back to the dance now."

Jay was the last one out of the caravan. Noticing that Polly had left her suitcase open on the bed, he grabbed a pair of freshly laundered white knickers from inside it and then stuffed them in his pocket before catching up with the others. The four of them stayed quite close together on the way back to the hall. Once they were indoors again, the three boys huddled in a corner of the hall. "It's a shame I couldn't have gone on with that story", Jay commented as an elderly couple danced the foxtrot. "I was going to tell her that I used to go for rides on the dog's back when I was younger."

"Yes, and then the story would have stopped being believable", Simon reasoned. "The dog that is in fact a wolf, that is in fact Neil", said Will. "Neil can be such a pain sometimes, can't he?" replied Simon. "I tell you what, though", said Jay perking up a little. "I wish it had been me sniffing around your mum's gorgeous snatch!"

"Neil didn't get as far as my mum's snatch", protested Will. Just then, Malcolm's voice came over the microphone. "Thank you to our foxtrotters", he announced. "And now, dancing the jive for us, put your hands together for Alan and Pamela Cooper!" Will and Jay joined in the applause as Alan and Pamela took to the floor and Simon wished the ground would swallow him up.

The DJ started the music – Wham's 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go'. "As if it could get any worse", complained Simon under his breath. As the beat kicked in and the two Coopers began a lively routine, the spectators became entranced, and even started clapping along. Pamela was particularly enjoying herself; while Will and Jay were doing their best to wind Simon up even further, singing along with George Michael's falsetto and whooping and hollering as the routine became more energized. As the dance ended and the last 'Yeah yeah yeah' faded out, Carli took the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winners!" she said excitedly. "We have decided to award first prize to-oooo… Alan and Pamela Cooper!"

Because everybody was now in the hall, no-one was around to see the wolf stop just outside. The beef kebabs hadn't been enough to stop him from feeling hungry – if anything, he felt more ravenous than ever. The hall seemed to be filled with light and noise, while outside it was horribly silent and dark and lonely. He sniffed again – not just to try and detect the scent of food but also that of other living beings.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know who's in there but you've kept me waiting for five minutes", Alistair yelled. "I'm actually a disabled person, and I need to use this toilet!"

"Alright, precious", tutted Jay as he came out of the disabled toilet cubicle.

Meanwhile, Alan had got his breath back after winning the dance competition and was exchanging a few words with Simon. "I think it's just as well you're in the tent with Neil tonight", he told him. "Dancing like that always tends to get your mother in a certain mood, and we're definitely going to need our privacy."

"Yeah, thanks for that, Dad", replied Simon, feeling embarrassed. "Have you been over to see how he's doing, by the way?" Alan added. "It can't be much fun for him, being stuck in a tent on his own."

"We'll check on him later", Simon told his father before sloping off with Will and Jay, who had been close by helping themselves to coronation chicken in thin plastic picnic bowls and had overheard the conversation. Will was still wearing his suit with the tails. "Here Simon, if your Mum and Dad's caravan's rocking, don't come knocking", sniggered Jay, once they were stationed at the back of the hall where no one else could hear them. "Actually, we probably should see if we can figure out where Neil is", Will pointed out. As if in reply, a sorrowful howl came from outside the hall. "Do you think he's hungry?" asked Simon. "Our dog Patch used to howl exactly like that when he wanted his food."

"Yeah, Benji used to sound like that when he was hungry", said Jay, referring to the Cartwright's dog, who had been put down a couple of months ago. "And before he turned into a wolf, Neil did tell me that he hadn't eaten since lunch", Will mused. "There's a window in the gents you can open if you stand on one of the toilets", remembered Simon. "I'm going to see if I can spot Neil through it", and he headed off in that direction.

"Maybe we could nick some of the buffet food and give it to him", Jay said, pointing at the table. Just then, they noticed Alistair wheeling himself frantically towards the rear entrance of the hall. Everyone else was too busy having fun to see him but he was filled with a tearing rage. "Oh shit", said Will and, still clutching his picnic bowl in one hand, he started running to the entrance before Alistair could get to it. Jay couldn't be bothered to join in with the chase – he just stood and ate his coronation chicken.

There was a kind of atrium between the entrance and the main part of the hall. This was where Will stopped, blocking Alistair's way to the open double doors. "Get out of my way!" hissed Alistair. "I'm going after those fucking chavs, the ones who keep howling outside!"

"Oh yeah, one kid in a wheelchair versus an entire gang of chavs!" mocked Will. "I bet they'll be really scared." But Alistair wouldn't be mollified - he glared hard at Will. "I'm not having another occasion ruined for me!" he shouted. "I don't care if it's you, I don't care if it's a complete stranger - it's just not gonna happen! Now fuck off out of my way!" Nervily, Will jumped aside; and in a fit of rage, Alistair propelled his wheelchair out through the double doors.

Will wasn't much of a runner and he found it hard going chasing after Alistair, who was wheeling himself as fast as he could over to the perimeter of the caravan park. Fortunately, he was quite easy to see in his fancy white suit. "Alistair", Will shouted after him with his voice shaking. "Alistair, I really don't know that it's safe!"

"How dare those chavs ruin my weekend!" Alistair ranted, slowing down and wheeling around to face Will, who stopped a few metres away from him. "How dare they when I had a year of living in a fucking hospital and feeling like shit!"

"Oh, that's it!" Will ranted back, fueled by a toxic mixture of fear and anger. "Carry on like a baby – just because there are some people in the world who don't want to blow smoke up your arse all the time."

"You know what, McKenzie, you're just jealous because I'm everybody's favourite person and you'll always be the kid who shit himself in the exam!" yelled Alistair. "And shall I tell you what happened yesterday – I got nominated for a Pride of Britain award!" Will had had enough now – he took his bowl of coronation chicken in both hands and dumped it all over Alistair's head. "I'm not even proud to go to the same school as you, let alone living in the same country", he told him as he stepped back.

Feeling the cold, oozy curry sauce had a calming effect on Alistair. For all of ten seconds, he sat in his wheelchair, closing his eyes to prevent the sauce trickling into his eyes. Just then, he felt some kind of pressure on each shoulder, and a large wet tongue licking the sauce from the top of his head. He closed his eyes even tighter as the tongue flickered across his forehead. Finally, Alistair managed to bring himself to open his eyes. Will was staring at him in horror, with his mouth hanging open. Alistair put his head back to discover that the wolf was stood behind him, with his hind legs propped up on his shoulders. Lifting his head to the sky, the wolf now looked up to the supermoon and let out a howl. Alistair's response was to pass out in shock.

But not before he shit himself.


	7. Chapter 7

The wolf now removed his front legs from Alistair's shoulders. Will still stood staring open mouthed as the creature dropped back onto all fours before trotting away into the forest.

"Will!" That was Simon hissing to him from the open window of the gents' toilet. Will hurried over to the window and looked up. "Did you see what just happened?" asked Will. Simon nodded. "We need to go after Neil", he told Will. "Go and change out of your suit and I'll meet you outside Jay's caravan." Will rushed over to his own caravan just as Alistair was coming round. "Carli!" he could hear him yelling. "Babes! I think I just shit myself!"

Simon caught up with Jay by the buffet and told him the plan. In response, Jay quickly bent over and reached under the buffet table cloth, pulling out a small plastic box. "I pinched all of these", he said, opening up the box to reveal onion bhajis and sandwiches. Simon quickly grabbed a couple more sandwiches and they went on their way. As the two of them left the hall, they could see Alistair surrounded by Carli and his parents. "There was a wolf?" Carli was saying. "Alistair, I don't know what you're talking about." Jay and Simon went and changed their suits for more casual clothes before they met up with Will outside the Cartwright caravan. The little group consisting of Carli, Alistair and Alistair's parents had disappeared by now.

"So we've got some food for Neil", Simon told Will. "Look over there", Will replied. Across the caravan park, they could see the wolf staring at them from the edge of the forest. "Neil", called Will, trying to keep his voice audible yet low. "Neil, come on – we've got you some sandwiches." The wolf just stared at them. Will had a quick check inside the plastic box and then took one of the sandwiches out. "Neil, come on, it's egg and cress!" he called.

Jay snatched the sandwich out of his hand. "He's not going to want a fucking egg and cress sarnie!" he groused. "Here, watch this." Although he had changed his clothes, Jay had kept the stolen pair of Polly's knickers with him, and now he pulled them out of his pocket. "Neil, guess what, I've got Will's mum's dirty knickers", he called, waving the immaculate white knickers up and down. "Jay, those aren't dirty, they're clean", protested Will. Jay scowled at him – then he crouched down and rubbed them on the lawn. "Alright", he told Will as he stood up, "now they're dirty – are you satisfied?" Will sighed. "Give those to me", said Simon, and he snatched the knickers out of Jay's hand. Perceiving an opportunity for winding Will up, he spun them around in the air. "Neil", he called. "It's Will's mum's dirty knickers, and they're all covered in grass stains!" Will grabbed the knickers from Simon. "For fuck's sake, this is a desperate situation!" he told him. "And shouldn't we keep the noise down?"

"I know what to do", said Jay. He took out his key, unlocked the door to the caravan and then switched the light on. "There we are", he said indicating a massive cool box just inside. He opened it up and then, looking at the other two with a massive smile on his face, he pulled out a suckling pig. "That's the pig I was telling you about", he said. "You're going to feed him the whole pig?" asked Simon in disbelief. "No, I'll just use it to lure him over here", replied Jay. "And then we can give him the buffet food." Putting the pig back in the cool box, Jay managed to shuffle the box across the doorway. "Neil", he called again, pulling the carcass part of the way out. "Pi-ig!"

With an intense look of joy on his face, the wolf galloped towards the caravan. Jay dropped the pig back into the box and the three boys stood back. The wolf jumped into the caravan, shoving the box a couple of feet back – then he stuck his face in the box and began eating the pig very noisily, tearing into its tender flesh. Is this what it would be like if he was eating a human being, thought Will as he went to shut the door. "Neil, you disgusting beast, haven't you got any manners?" yelled Jay. "Ugh, he's not going to start dragging the pig's guts all around the caravan, is he?" worried Simon. "No, the butcher's taken the guts out already", Jay told him. Will sighed. "Some people eat fried chicken out of a box", he said. "Neil eats raw pig."

"Think about it though, Briefcase", said Jay. "People pay a shitload of money to go abroad and see wolves running around wild, and you, me and Simon get to stay in Kent and see it for free."

"Yes, well hopefully all of that went over Neil's head", Simon replied pointedly. "You what?" said Jay. "Bit tactless on your part, if I'm honest", Will told him. "Besides which, experiencing a mate of mine transforming into a wolf is not exactly an item I would have wanted to tick off the bucket list!"

"Oh yeah, and what's that supposed to mean?" Jay demanded.

"What he means is that Neil is an actual human being", Simon told Jay in disgust. "And I don't know about you, Jay, but I certainly don't think of him as being on a level with a fucking tourist attraction!"

"Well, you're the one who's talking about him as if he isn't here!" Jay shot back. He knelt beside the wolf, who was still busy eating what was left of the pig. "Neil, mate, I'm the one who cares about you the most", he said, rubbing the wolf's shoulders.

"You?" Will said in outrage. "You didn't come and help when Alistair was kicking off, you selfish fucker. You only care about yourself!"

"Oh really?" yelled Jay. "Well, with a bit of luck, it'll be you that Neil ends up eating next!" With that, he stalked off to sit at the dining table. Will and Simon sat down cross-legged on the floor, with their backs to Jay. A sulky silence loomed over the caravan, which was broken only by the wolf crunching the bones of the pig. After a while, however, the wolf picked up on the tension in the air, and started whining. "Aw Neil, leave off", grumbled Jay. The wolf trotted over to where Jay was sitting and started shoving his head against his thigh, as if he were pushing him over to where Will and Simon were. "Forget about it", Jay whispered. "I'm not apologising to those two."

The wolf stared up at Jay. Two tears fell from both his blue eyes, and he whined once again. "Oh, fuck it", Jay said, and he went over to Will and Simon. The wolf followed, sitting down next to them. "I'm sorry", Jay told them, and he put out his hand. "We're sorry too", replied Simon, shaking it. "We've all been silly", added Will, shaking Jay's hand in turn, "and we're sorry to you too, Neil." Seeing how gentle the wolf had become now that he had been fed, Will was completely unafraid as he gave him a hug. The wolf whined again but this time it seemed to Will like more of a happy whine. Jay knelt down and joined in the hug, and then Simon did too. "Where would we be without you, Neil?" he said, as the wolf howled again.


	8. Chapter 8

"So we all decided we needed to have an eleventh hour revision session, and we're all going to be in Simon and Neil's tent going through our index cards", Will said to Polly. "If I know your little crew, they'll be sitting up all night with cans of beer in their hands and talking about girls", Polly replied. "I suppose I can allow it this once, though. You can take the torch with you if you want."

"So I left the door open and this massive dog got into the caravan and ate the pig right up", Jay told Terry, "but I chased it away with the fly swatter."

"Well, first off, don't let me catch you leaving the door open again", said Terry. Jay flinched as his father jabbed a finger in his face. "And second off, are you sure it wasn't your fat bird from the Camber Sands meet?" Terry clapped Jay on the shoulder and laughed. "Good one, Dad", said Jay with a feeble smile.

"Mind you, you might do best to lay low for the rest of the night, son. Your mum'll go mental when she sees all the hair the furball's left on the carpet!"

"Yeah, about that", Jay asked him. "Is it alright if I spend the night in Simon and Neil's tent? And can I take the lantern with me?"

"All boys together in a tent, eh? You little poof", said Terry. "Go on, then", he decided with a laugh. "Quick, before your mother gets here."

Will and Jay met by the tent. From inside, they grabbed sleeping bags; blankets; an Asda bag for life containing the beers and the lighter Neil had brought; and the clothes he had been wearing earlier on. Then they headed off into the forest, with Jay carrying the lantern. Simon was waiting for them in a clearing with the wolf, who was resting his head in Simon's lap. An electric torch was next to them, shining a small pool of light onto the grass. "How did you manage to get Neil to lie so still?" asked Will.

"I just tickled him behind the ears", replied Simon. "He goes all soppy when you do that", added Jay with a wink. "Why don't you have a go?" Simon asked.

Will looked at the furry head. Then, very gingerly, he reached out his hand and touched the back of the wolf's ear where it met the head. "Give it a proper tickle", Jay told him. Will gulped and then tickled the space. The wolf looked up at him and began to howl with happiness. "You know what Neil really likes when he's a wolf", said Simon. "What's that?" Will asked.

"Tug of war!" yelled Jay and Simon together. Jay shone the lantern on the ground, and Simon found a stout stick which was just the right size. Simon held on to one end and the wolf grabbed the other with his mouth. "Come on, Patch", said Simon excitedly as the wolf growled. "Come on, good boy!" Will kept silent about the fact that Simon was referring to the wolf by the name of his old dog. "I'm going to build a fire", he told the others, "a proper one this time."

"Alright then, Bear Grylls", mocked Jay. "Off you go and build your proper fire." However, the fire proved to be a good one – in fact, it was a perfect one for gathering round in sleeping bags with plenty of beers. "I wanna just stay like this forever", Jay told the others. "No worrying about A Levels or finding a job or any of that shit." Will was glad that the Friday was ending on a happy note. Rather than the four of them having to endure any serious disasters, tonight the real disaster had happened to Alistair. "It's been quite fun staying out in the forest, hasn't it?" smiled Will as he wriggled out of his sleeping bag to grab another beer. "I've been pretending that we're the Marauders."

"You've been pretending we're who?" said Jay, not understanding him. Will didn't bother to enlighten him – he just cracked open his beer can and took a massive swig. "Come here, Neil", called Simon, who was sitting up in his own sleeping bag. The wolf wandered over to Simon, knocking him flat on his back; and laid his head on his chest before lying down on top of him. "Goooood boy", Simon crooned, tickling the wolf's head. Jay rolled over and joined in with the tickling. Simon had a huge blanket on his sleeping bag, and Will wrapped it around the wolf, covering him so that only his tail was sticking out. "Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone?" he started singing in a silly voice. "There he is!" cried Jay, folding back the blanket slightly to reveal the wolf's head.

Will thought he may have had a bit too much to drink but it probably wouldn't matter too much. "I hope we're not going to get too cold", he told the others. "The only branches I could find were oak, and that burns down quite quickly."

"Oh, stop fussing and snuggle up next to Neil", said Simon. "He's the best hot water bottle ever", chimed in Jay, who was already snuggled up next to the wolf's left side. The wolf was sleeping now, his back heaving up and down as he snored. Will laid his sleeping bag down to the right of the wolf and then got inside. No more glasses, he was going to sleep now. He took them off and placed them to one side – and then wriggled over to rest his head on the wolf's shoulder. The wolf woke up and gently nuzzled Will's face. Will felt a wet nose touch him between his eyes. "Thanks for that, Neil", he whispered happily. "Sleep well, mate." The fire crackled soothingly. "I love you, Patch", Simon murmured in his sleep. The wolf started to snore again. As the fire crackled again, Jay could be heard, also talking in his sleep. "Aww, there's a good boy, Benji", he cooed. "Have you got a kiss for Jay-Jay?"


	9. Chapter 9

Will woke up with the strangest inkling that he was being stared at. He reached for his glasses, put them on and then sat up. Ducking back into the forest, with a guilty look on her face, was the fat girl from the Camber Sands meet. "How peculiar", he muttered to himself as he heard the sounds of heavy footsteps growing fainter and fainter as the birds tweeted the dawn chorus. Will turned his head to look at the other three, then turned it back again. I've never been so happy to see a naked man in all my life, thought Will. He turned his head again to make sure that what he had seen was actually there. Yes, by the morning light he could see Neil Sutherland, 18 year old human male, completely naked under the blanket he was rolled up in and lying on top of Simon. Empty beer cans were dotted around all over the place. Will stood up and stepped back to get a better view. Jay was still snuggled against Neil, just as Will would have been before he woke up. The fat girl's eyes must have been out on stalks.

Will was aware of feeling hungover. Turning to look at the trees, he considered his options. Perhaps he could head back to the caravan and persuade his mum to cook a fry-up for breakfast. Maybe he and his friends could drive to a services and buy a full English from there. It would even be worth the bother of cooking breakfast himself – he needed a fry-up so badly. "Wi-ill." He spun around quickly. "Will, I'm cold." It was Neil. "And I can't get off Simon 'cause Jay's too heavy."

"Oi, mate", said Jay, waking up and rolling off Neil. "Stop whinging, will you?" In turn, Neil rolled off Simon, who was just waking up himself. Neil stood up and opened up his blanket, flashing the others in the process, before wrapping himself up in it again with his arms inside. "Neil, do you really have to show us your penis first thing in the morning?" complained Simon. "I don't know why I'm naked", Neil whined. "Did I have a lot of those beers last night?"

"We were playing truth or dare, and we got you to do a streak around the caravan park", Jay lied. "It was pure comedy gold", grinned Simon, backing him up. "Well, I don't remember", Neil grumbled. "I hope none of you was filming it.""Got it all on here", Jay said, shaking his phone and smiling his naughtiest smile. "Oh no", sighed Neil. The other three looked at each other and grinned. "Anyway, shall we all go and have some breakfast?" suggested Will. "Neil, I've got your clothes here."

It didn't take long before Neil was dressed and the four of them were headed towards the McKenzie caravan. Polly was stood on the veranda when they got there. "Alright, let me guess, how many beers did you all have last night?" she asked. "I can't remember", Neil replied. "It's funny, though, I don't really feel hungover."

"Would it be alright to have fried sausage and bacon?" asked Will. "Excuse me?" chided Polly. "Didn't you have that buffet last night, and aren't you going to be enjoying a massive barbecue this afternoon? I tell you what though, Petal, I can cook you all some eggy bread." "We'll help you, Mrs. McKenzie", offered Neil, and he and Jay went into the caravan with Polly. Will and Simon walked out of earshot of the caravan and began talking.

"Well, that was quite an adventure, wasn't it?" commented Simon. "I hope the rest of the weekend won't seem too boring."

"It reminds me of that Chinese saying", replied Will. "'May you live in uninteresting times.' It's funny to think that Gilbert and Donovan will be waiting for us when we get back to school." Simon nodded. "It's a shame Neil had to turn into a wolf last night and not during a time when we had to deal with those two", he said.

"Come on, benders", called Jay from the veranda. "Your eggy bread's done!" Will and Simon hurried back to the caravan. Polly left them to dig in while she went off in the car to the local Marks and Spencer's outlet. She couldn't figure out why but a few of her pairs of knickers had gone missing in the last couple of months…

"Mrs. McKenzie was really nice to us", Neil told Will and Simon as they ate their breakfast on the veranda. "She even let me crack the eggs."

"I'd do more than crack her eggs", Jay said meaningfully, and Neil and Simon snickered. Business as usual, thought Will. "Oh, is that supposed to be a joke about you giving me a half-brother or sister?" he asked sarcastically. "How delightful."

"It'd be better looking than you!" retorted Jay.

The morning and early afternoon passed quite uneventfully. Will went back to the forest clearing and tidied away the empty beer cans before doing some A Level revision with Simon. Carli dropped by looking for people to take in a series of races to be held at the same time as the barbecue, so Simon put his and Jay's names forward to take part in the three legged race, despite the fact that Jay wasn't actually there to agree to it. Jay himself had to hoover his family's caravan during the morning and then help to set up for the barbecue along with Neil and some other volunteers. Terry came back from the local meat wholesaler's with an even bigger pig than the one the wolf had eaten. The new improved pig took pride of place on the spit roast once the barbecue was ready, and delicious meaty smells filled the air.

Alistair was in attendance, looking as if he'd recovered from the previous night's events. Eavesdropping on the general conversation at the barbecue, Will heard nothing about any strange goings on, and decided that Alistair must have decided to let sleeping wolves lie. Initially, Jay was sulking about having to take part in the three legged race but he couldn't stay cross knowing that the spit roast would be ready soon, so Will was inclined to think that the barbecue part of the afternoon was actually shaping up quite nicely. Although there was one unsettling moment when the fat girl came up to him, put a hand on his arm and whispered "I won't let anyone know that you four are gay" before sidling off again.

When the pig was ready to eat, Will, Neil, Jay and Simon were among those queueing up to have some. The pork was served in big white rolls, with plenty of apple sauce. Jay insisted on them all starting on their rolls at the same time. "On the count of three – one, two, three, bite!"

"Oh, that is awesome", said Simon. Will thought it was awesome too. The tender meat from the inside of the pig contrasting amazingly with the crunchy crackling, the pork taste, the apple sauce… "What did I tell you?" said Jay. Nearly everyone looked as if they were enjoying the roast. Neil, on the other hand, looked as if he wasn't quite sure. He took a piece of crackling from his roll and sucked on it thoughtfully. "Simon." That was Carli calling from a few metres away. "Simon, are you and Jay ready for the three-legged race?" Simon trotted over. Jay shrugged his shoulders and followed after him, leaving Will and Neil alone together. Neil picked out another piece of pork from the roll and sniffed it. "Aren't you enjoying your pig, Neil?" Will asked him. Neil looked at Will with a blank expression on his face.

"S'alright", he replied. "But I liked the pig I had last night a lot more."


End file.
